


Broken Hearts and Broken Feathers.

by Moonlessnite



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Explicit Language, Heavy Angst, M/M, Season/Series 12 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 19:46:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12239475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlessnite/pseuds/Moonlessnite
Summary: This is a short one shot of my interpretation of Destiel. It picks up directly after the Season 12 finale.





	Broken Hearts and Broken Feathers.

It was going to be a beautiful sunrise.

The sky started out like velvet black with a sweep of silvery stars before performing a seamless shift to leaden grey and finally hinting at a vibrant gold that would sweep away the wet mist hovering over the earth.

As Sam sat silent on the cold ground, the first rays of dawn were just breaking off in the distance. The golden light came sliding and sinuous over the ground and glinted along the surface of the water, dancing and magical like something from a fairy tale. Something that should be bursting with promise and should begin with once upon a time.

The air was still and had a crisp bite about it. It’s the kind of chill that a soft sweater is enough to warm your body but the tip of your nose is still a little cold and the best way to warm yourself is a hot cup of coffee and your face against the warm neck of someone you love.

Waves lapped against the shore with quiet reserve. While the sun was just witnessing the scene below, the waves almost seemed to quiet in deference to the bloody events that unfolded on its watch.

Sam squinted as the first light of a new day hit his eyes. Tears welled up on his bottom lashes but they didn’t spill over, not now. There would be time enough for that later. He had to help his brother. Do something for Dean. Stop this. Fix it.

But he just sat. It was all over now, even if he couldn’t stop his brain from replaying the night before.

Castiels light had gone out. Lucifer and their mom were gone. Dean had drug his feet forward in the darkness before collapsing to his knees beside the body of his best friend. Sam had stood in indecision, wanting to go to his brother and Cas but knowing there was nothing he could do.

Cas was gone.

Cas was dead.

The Nephilim was here.

He had to deal with the immediate threat. With gritted teeth, he had turned and started at a dead run towards the house where an orange glow was fading from the windows.

Even as he had flown into the house and his main focus was on readying his weapon, part of Sams brain had whirled in confused panic and anguish, screaming out silent prayers that would go unanswered.

He had taken the stairs two at a time to find the Nephilim, but the child (or boy his mind whispered, how was something just born that old already, even the Darkness started out as a baby) disappeared with a flash of terrifying golden eyes. Sam’s panic had spiked and he had raced back outside, his first instinct to find Dean, to hope and beg and pray that what he had seen was an illusion and both Dean and Cas would be waiting for him.

They were waiting right where he had left them, in a horrible parody of the other two parts of Team Free Will.

Castiel was a cold, still form on the ground, while Dean knelt beside him with his head bowed in supplication. The edges of his trenchcoat fluttered in the light wind but it couldn’t cover the horrible image of burned and tattered wings scorched the color of death itself in the living earth on either side of his prone body. 

Sam had run to Dean, stumbling, his legs not working right, and fallen to his knees beside his brother. With hands that shook like an old mans, he had gripped Deans jacket at the shoulders and gasped out “Dean..the Nephilim, it’s gone. That means…..the portal. Crowley…gone. He closed it. Mom. She’s there with Lucifer.” Sam knew he was sputtering and barely coherent but he couldn't seem to focus. All he knew was he needed his brother. 

Dean hadn’t acknowledged he knew Sam was there. His eyes had closed and his lips were moving slightly, soft words coming forth that Sam couldn’t make out. Sam had glanced to the side, his heart giving another sick lurch at the site of his friends lifeless vessel on the ground, his tie laying just to the side of the bloody hole in his motionless chest.

“We’ll take care of him Dean. I promise. We will. We’ll take care of him. Fuck Dean, what can I do? How can I make this better?” He had panted, watching Dean for any sign he heard or understood. Sam couldn’t make sense of this. How had it gone so wrong, so fast? It had all fallen apart and he had been powerless to stop any of it.

A final test against Lucifer. And he had failed, while costing Dean their mom and his best friend.

Sam had gently shaken his brother, his only family he had left yet again, as he leaned forward. As he strained to listen to what Dean was whispering to his fallen angel, his breath froze in his lungs when the words became clear.

“Please Cas. Don’t leave me here again. I can’t do this without you. Please Cas…..please. Open your eyes. I need you. You can’t leave me again. You promised. You always come when I call. Cas. Fuck Cas I’m so sorry. I should have protected you. Please hear me. I need you. I……”, there was a quiet sob” I love you Cas. Please. I’m sorry. Come back and I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you Cas. I love you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please come back so I can tell you I love you. Please Cas….”

The litany of words were barely more than a breath but they sent a shard of ice straight into Sams heart. He had raised one hand to place it gently under Deans chin and push his head up, whispering hoarsely “Dean please. Please open your eyes. I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”

Deans voice had gone on for another few moments before sputtering into silence. The pause had seemed to stretch for eons before he opened his eyes, his gaze going straight to Cas. As Sam watched in abject horror, tears filled Deans eyes and spilled down his cheeks. Green eyes alight with earth shattering revelation and pain had raised to meet his.

Deans mouth had opened and closed as he tried to find words for this impossible situation. Sam flinched internally when Deans lower lipped had quivered briefly before he whispered in hoarse and defeated tone, “He’s not hearing me Sammy. He always hears me”.

“Oh fuck Dean.” Sam had lunged forward and wrapped Dean up in his arms, whispering nonsensical words meant to comfort and help when he knew there was nothing in this world that would ever be right for Dean again. Dean had lost it when Sams arms closed around him, sobbing brokenly in a way that caused hot tears to leak from Sams own eyes. He had squeezed Dean with all his might, as if his strength could hold together the heart of his brother that was shattering into a million pieces. Try as Sam might to bring comfort, Dean didn’t move except to cry, and once that was finished, he was silent except for shallow breathing.

When Sam pulled back, Deans eyes were once again dry and yet dead inside, downcast and fixed on the person he was just now realizing he’d loved for so many years. The green of his eyes looked almost grey in the pall of depression that settled over him like a heavy blanket.

Sam set back but kept one hand on Deans arm, not willing to break contact with him, superstitiously afraid he’d slip away like everything in their god forsaken lives. They knelt in silence for several minutes before Sam cleared his throat “Dean…..we need to move him. We can’t stay here.” Dean listlessly shook his head no. Sam bit his lip and tried again “Dean….”

With a violent jerk Dean pulled his arm free and whipped his head towards Sam, something dark and vicious alighting in his eyes. “No, don’t touch him!” His voice was a growl and his teeth were bared in warning. For the briefest of seconds, Sams mind threw up a picture of Dean with the darkness of a demon shining out through his eyes. He blinked and held his hands up slowly in a calming motion. “Ok Dean. No problem. We’ll wait till you’re ready.” Sam dropped his eyes and saw Deans hand farthest from him had reached out to viciously grip Castiels trenchcoat. His knuckles were white around the tan of the material. 

With slow and deliberate movements, Sam had moved back to sit a few feet away. He watched with a mix of relief and sadness as the wild emotion drained from Deans eyes, once again leaving them devoid of life as his gaze moved back to the only person he had ever truly been in love with. He murmured in a defeated tone “Sorry Sammy….just….time. I need some time…..” Deans voiced trailed off as he lovingly smoothed out Castiels trenchcoat from where his fist had wrinkled it.

Sam had to clear his throat before he could say in a husky voice, choked with tears, “Yea Dean. Take all the time you need. I’m here”. His heart was breaking. For himself. For their mom. For poor Castiel.

But most of all for Dean. Dean, who protected the innocents from things that went bump in the night and all he wanted was a good beer and a good burger in thanks. Dean, who had lost more than anyone had a right to and keep their sanity. Dean, who had given his very blood for his loved ones and this fucking world, over and over again. Dean, the big brother who had sacrificed everything, even his life, to take care of his little brother.

Dean, the man who had earned the love of an angel. An angel, who had betrayed Heaven and chose the man, over and over again. A man who had been too blind to see he had given his heart to that angel years ago. Too blind to see it before the angel was grounded forever. 

Sam blinked a few times to banish the tears and focused back on the still form of his brother. His breathing was so soft he didn’t even appear to move. With a soft sigh, he curled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms them, locking his hands together. Dean had given everything again and he didn’t even realize how much he had to lose until it was gone.

As the sun begins to warm his face like a caress, Sams mind sluggishly works through the grief on all the things that need to be done. He had to be the strong one right now, but that was ok. He could do this for his bests friend Cas and watch over Cas’ only love. It’s the least he could do for both of them.


End file.
